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Thursday, August 19, 2010

Upgrades at Southland Leisure Help Efficiency and Environment

Everyday employees at Southland Leisure Centre work hard to improve the well-being and physical health of Calgarians; but recent upgrades to reduce water and energy consumption show a serious commitment to the health of our environment as well.

“Our building is around 30 years old,” said Randy Spark, supervisor of Facility Operations. “We needed upgrades and decided to look beyond the nuts and bolts to things that would improve efficiency and lessen our impact on the environment.”

“Our employees are really excited to see these kinds of positive changes,” adds Spark. “It makes a difference working somewhere where you know people are always striving to do things better.”

One of the recent upgrades is the installation of a new central irrigation system. The system provides water for nearby soccer fields and utilizes a satellite to conserve water so it only operates when necessary. It’s also equipped with an alarm that notifies The City in the event of a leak, so it can be repaired quickly.
One of the other big changes at the Southland Leisure Centre is the lighting in the facility, which has been upgraded reduce energy consumption and saving money.

“Upgrading our lighting is a huge benefit to customers and staff,” said Spark. “In the past if we had a power-surge, the lights would go out and it could take 15 minutes for us to get them back. Now they would return almost instantaneously.”

More lighting is now being controlled by sensors and the team that worked on the upgrades has also committed to recycling the removed bulbs, ballasts and fixtures wherever feasible.

“These upgrades are really a testament to the collaboration we have at The City,” said Spark. “From the folks in Parks, Supply Management and the Energy Management Office, to the employees in other areas of Recreation, everyone was really supportive and the willingness to help us move forward has been incredible.”